In Service of the Queen Ch. 02

In Service of the Queen

by Davina Lee

An alternative future of women and their adventures

*

Author's Note

As we concluded the last chapter, Vivienne, Adelaide, and their new friend Cosette had just snuggled in for the night. This chapter picks up with the events of the next morning.

Chapter 2: Gap Year

Vivienne and Adelaide's Apartment, Empyrea City

Adelaide opened her eyes for a split second before squeezing them shut again and pulling the covers up over her head. She reached out with her hand still between the sheets and searched the empty space beside her by feel.

"Cosette?" mumbled Adelaide. She rolled over, blinking in the dark, humid space of under the covers of her bed. "Cosette?"

Adelaide peeked out from under the blankets. Pulling the top cover to just under her chin, with her eyes still closed, Adelaide sucked a breath of cool, fresh air. "Cosette?" she mumbled again, "Wherever you are, it smells..."

Adelaide sniffed at the air. "So..." She pulled herself to sitting and swung her legs over the side of her bed.

"Wonderful," she said, blinking and rubbing at the corners of her eyes. "Amazing, really. What are you up to Cosette? Baking? Cosette?"

Adelaide stood up, pulled on her bathrobe, and shuffled through the doorway of her bedroom, her nostrils flaring as she sniffed at the air. After a few steps down the hall, she came upon a view of Cosette's blonde curls and bare legs still sticking out Vivienne's borrowed T-shirt. Next to Cosette was Vivienne wearing a kitchen apron and nothing else.

Adelaide scanned the two women and then the counter top that was covered in flour. Finally, Adelaide settled her eyes on Vivienne's apron, also dusted with flour and streaked with butter in the shape of a hand print. "Been busy this morning," said Adelaide.

Vivienne grinned. And while Vivienne moved off to the sink to wash the flour from her hands, Cosette bounced over to plant a kiss on each of Adelaide's cheeks. "Croissants," said Cosette.

"And coffee," added Vivienne. "I'm going to make coffee. But you have to give me a minute to get cleaned up first."

Adelaide inhaled a deep breath and smiled as she let it out. "I'm glad you said it," said Adelaide. "I can never get it right."

Vivienne stared at Adelaide sideways. "Coffee? It's not that early, Addie. I'm sure you could handle making coffee."

"No. The crah... cwah..."

"Croissant," said Cosette and Vivienne simultaneously.

"Right," said Adelaide. "What she said."

"Croissant," said Vivienne again.

Adelaide nodded. "Yes, the, um... Crah... Cwah... Listen, I'm going to go brush my teeth," she mumbled. "Before the, um... um..."

"Croissant," repeated Cosette.

"Mm-hmm, yes," said Adelaide. "Yes. That." Adelaide turned her gaze to Cosette's eyes. "When I'm finished brushing, I'm probably going to pee, too. Just in case you, um... you know... I'm definitely peeing."

Vivienne looked at Adelaide sideways. Cosette grinned and followed Adelaide down the hall.

Adelaide sat down on the toilet with her robe open and curled around her back, pushed off to her right side. Cosette stood to her left, leaning against the sink and staring at the floor.

"Friend Cosette? Are you okay?"

"Friend Adelaide..." said Cosette, never looking up. "You do not think it strange... that I...?"

"Cosette." Adelaide rested her hands on her knees. "Eyes over here, okay? I really don't think I can hold it much longer and I don't want you to miss out."

"Euh?"

Adelaide took a breath and let out slowly as she let go of her bladder. "If you like to watch," said Adelaide, "that's fine by me. I just don't want you to miss anything, that's all."

"Friend Adelaide..." Cosette's cheeks flushed pink as she sighed.

Adelaide reached for the toilet paper roll. "I really want to kiss you, Cosette" she said, "because you're just so adorably cute right now. But not until I brush my teeth, okay?"

"Of course, friend."

"Uh-oh. I think there's a little left..."

Cosette fixed her gaze between Adelaide's knees.

Adelaide grinned. "Here it comes."

Adelaide watched Vivienne, who was tilting a carafe to pour three cups of coffee. "Here you go," said Vivienne, handing off a steaming mug to Cosette, and then one to Adelaide, before returning to grab one for herself. Adelaide wrapped both hands around her mug and dipped her nose to inhale as she took her place at the kitchen table.

"What's gotten into you two this morning?" asked Adelaide, picking up a croissant from the plate as Vivienne and Cosette sat down to join her. "Not that I'm complaining about the end result, but I'm sure this took a while to whip up."

"Homework," said Vivienne, biting the corner off the pastry she held in her hand.

"I thought the mousse was your homework."

"It is," said Vivienne. "It was. So's this. I figured I'd work ahead while I had my teacher here to help me."

"Teaching assistant," said Cosette.

"Cosette's your... teacher?" said Adelaide, cocking her head and squinting at Vivienne.

"Teaching assistant," repeated Cosette, before tearing off a chunk of croissant in her teeth and grinning.

"You invited your... your teacher... teaching assistant over for--"

"Help with my assignments," said Vivienne. "That's her job. To help the students."

"And sex!" exclaimed Adelaide, mumbling around the croissant she held in her teeth while throwing both hands in the air. "I distinctly recall Cosette laid out on this very table... naked and covered in... covered in..."

"Whipped cream," said Cosette.

"Yes. A lot of whipped cream," repeated Adelaide, tearing off another piece of pastry.

"It was part of the assignment," said Vivienne. Just a little dollop on top of the mousse."

"And on top of Cosette's... Your teacher's nipples."

"Teaching assistant," said Cosette and Vivienne simultaneously.

"Whatever." Adelaide switched hands between her croissant and her mug and took a long pull on her coffee. "You totally had your tongue up her ass, Viv. And I helped."

"And I thank you for that, Friend Adelaide," said Cosette. "I've never had anyone so enthusiastic about rimming my ass as Friend Vivienne. I don't think I it would have been possible for me to keep still enough to hold my legs up by myself."

Adelaide shook her head. "You're totally schtupping your culinary arts teacher."

"Teaching assistant," said Cosette and Vivienne simultaneously.

"Mm-hmm," said Adelaide, taking another sip of coffee.

"I am not the one assigning grades, Friend Adelaide, if that is what you find troubling," said Cosette. "There is no impropriety. I am simply... assisting."

"Assisting. Because you're a..."

"Teaching assistant," said all three at once.

Adelaide raised her mug to drain the last of her coffee and stood up.

"Are you okay?" said Vivienne, her eyebrows knit. "Addie?"

Adelaide stood and walked over to the counter to reach for the carafe. "Why did I choose bookkeeping?" she mumbled.

"Addie?"

"You were there, Vivienne," said Adelaide. "At the career expo. You stood beside me while I picked up my card for the accounting and finance program. You'd been to the expo three times already, right? Isn't that what you told me?"

Vivienne nodded slowly, gripping her mug.

"All this time. All this time, Viv. And you never told me culinary school had all the hot girls." Adelaide broke out into a grin. "I feel like you've been holding out on me."

"I'm sure there's hot girls in accounting, too," offered Vivienne from where she sat.

"No there's not," said Adelaide. "They're all book nerds, like me."

"Friend Adelaide," said Cosette, rising from the table and walking over to where Adelaide stood. Standing in front of Adelaide, she said, "Do you remember this?"

Cosette looked down at Adelaide's hand, took her by the fingers and turned around, backing up until she was pressed against Adelaide with their arms crossed over her waist. "Last night, you held me like this."

Adelaide nodded.

"And you lulled me back to sleep while you planted sweet kisses on the back of my neck."

Adelaide nodded again.

"There is nothing hotter than that," said Cosette.

"Amen to that, sister!" exclaimed Vivienne.

Adelaide let out a small mmm as she leaned forward to touch her lips to the skin of Cosette's neck. At the table, Vivienne had pushed back her chair and was hoisting herself to her feet.

With her free hand, Cosette tugged at the hem of the borrowed T-shirt she wore, pulling it upward. She had it pulled far enough that Adelaide's arm was now resting against bare skin.

"Would you two like some alone time?" asked Vivienne, as she walked over to refill her mug and pluck up a second croissant.

Adelaide looked up, red faced, as she gripped Cosette's T-shirt in her hand and pulled it back into place. "I'm not trying to steal your girlfriend, Viv."

"Teacher," said Vivienne.

"Teaching assistant," said Cosette and Adelaide together.

"And she's not mine to keep or to give, Addie."

"I know," said Adelaide. "I didn't mean--"

"Have another croissant," said Vivienne, picking one up from the cooling rack on the counter and thrusting it out toward Adelaide.

Adelaide released Cosette from her embrace as she took the croissant in her fingers. Adelaide raised it to her mouth, bit off a corner, and chewed. "So what are you two up to today, anyway?" she asked. "More baking? More sex? 'Cause I'm all for the fruits of your labor. In both cases."

"Friend Adelaide," said Cosette, craning forward to kiss Adelaide, once on each cheek, before continuing. "I would love to stay, both for the baking and for the sex, but I have football practice."

"Football?" said Adelaide. "Practice?"

"Sorry, do you call it soccer here?"

"No," said Adelaide, "it's football. But wow...! Is there anything you're not good at Cosette?"

Cosette smirked. "I didn't say I was good. It's just our intramural team. Nothing competitive. It's organized by the girls from the youth hostel."

"Youth hostel?"

"It's where I live," said Cosette. "Lots of girls from outside Empyrea City live there. It's very friendly. Would you like to come along? I can introduce you to some of the other girls there."

"Um..." said Adelaide.

Vivienne set her mug on the counter with a bang, sloshing the remaining coffee within it. "More hot foreign exchange students?" she blurted around the half-chewed croissant in her mouth. "Where do I sign up?"

Empyrea City Trolley Stop #31

"Here it comes now," said Cosette, craning her neck to peer down the track.

"So how many girls do you live with, Cosette?" asked Adelaide.

"Enough for a football team, apparently," said Vivienne.

"Yes, Friend Vivienne, enough for a football team."

"Uh, how many's that?" asked Adelaide, as the trolley slowed to a walking pace during its approach to the designated stop.

"Eleven," said Cosette, grabbing the rail and jumping up onto the running board before the trolley even came to a halt.

Adelaide and Vivenne followed suit and boarded behind Cosette. Conversation paused until the three found an empty bench seat in the back where they could sit side by side.

"We used to have twelve girls staying at the hostel, when it was full, so we had an extra player. But now there are only eleven of us." Cosette, sitting in the middle, reached out and took Adelaide's hand and Vivienne's hand in her own.

"You all play football?" asked Adelaide.

"Of course," said Cosette. "In Paris, everyone plays football. Is it not the same here in Empyrea City?"

Adelaide shrugged.

"Tell us more about yourself, Cosette," said Vivienne, rubbing her thumb over Cosette's hand where she held it between them. "If you don't mind. Besides the football, pastries and whipped cream, and the obvious sexy stuff, I feel like we hardly know anything about you."

"She likes to watch girls pee," mumbled Adelaide.

"What's that?" asked Vivenne.

"Nothing, Viv."

Cosette grinned, as her cheeks flushed pink. "Friend Adelaide has discovered I like to join others in the toilet."

"Oh, for chatting?" said Vivienne. "Yeah, I do that sometimes too. Usually at school, not so much at home. Do you do that a lot at the hostel? I suppose with eleven of you sharing the facilities and all that..."

"For peeing," said Cosette. "I enjoy... I like to watch, Friend Vivienne, when others pee. I know it's not for everyone, so if you don't--"

"Cosette!" exclaimed Vivienne, sitting straight and puffing her chest. "I'll pee for you anytime you want. All you have to do is ask. I'm your girl. Seriously, anytime. Your urinary wish is my command."

Cosette tossed her head back and laughed. She pulled Adelaide and Vivienne's hands onto her lap. "I'm so glad I came to Empyrea City, Friend Vivienne and Friend Adelaide. Because where else could I meet someone as fun as the two of you?"

"I dunno," said Adelaide, shrugging.

"Why Empyrea City, Friend Cosette?" asked Vivienne. "I mean, I'm glad you're here, but surely Paris must have its treasures and friends to share them with."

"It does," said Cosette. "But it's where I grew up."

"I grew up in Empyrea Commonwealth," said Adelaide, "Outside the city."

"I grew up in the suburbs as well," said Cosette.

"No, I mean like out in the countryside," said Adelaide. "Like you have to pass fields of wheat, and barley, and hops on a long and dusty path to get here."

"You could take the train," said Vivienne.

"Yes, but it goes by the same fields, Viv. Just faster."

Vivienne shrugged. "I've always lived in Empyrea City."

"And did you take a gap year as well?" asked Cosette. "I've not known anyone from Empyrea who has come to Paris."

Adelaide cocked her head. "A gap year?"

"After school is done. Before career training begins," said Cosette. "A year to travel and experience life outside the city where you grew up."

Adelaide and Vivienne exchanged a look, both shrugging. "Nope," said Adelaide. "Can't say that's a thing around here."

"That's why I'm here," said Cosette. "I've finished school and I'm exploring some of what life has to offer before settling into a career. All the girls at the youth hostel are doing the same."

"I thought you were a famous Parisian pastry chef," said Vivienne. "Visiting faculty or something like that."

"Yeah," said Adelaide. "You're a teacher... teaching assistant... something. They don't let just anybody show up and teach culinary classes do they? Or does everyone in Paris just know how to whip up the uh, crah... cwah... breakfast pastries?"

Adelaide and Vivienne both turned their heads to Cosette, awaiting her answer.

"My family owns a bakery," said Cosette.

"Well, that explains the croissants," said Vivienne.

"And the whipped cream?" added Adelaide, smirking.

Cosette grinned as she squeezed Adelaide's hand. "I assist at the culinary school in appreciation for the people of Empyrea providing me with food and lodging during my visit. All of the girls keep a similar arrangement. Though we all hail from different cities, the idea is the same."

"Huh." Adelaide shrugged. "Who knew?"

"Yeah. Never heard of the gap year thing," said Vivienne. "It's pretty much straight to career training after graduation."

"Just think," said Adelaide. "If we had a gap year and Viv and I decided to go to Paris while Friend Cosette decided to come here. We could have missed each other and never known it."

Vivienne leaned over to rest her head on Cosette's shoulder. "Well, that would have been tragic," said Vivienne.

"It would," said Cosette, pulling Adelaide closer and encouraging her to rest her head as well.

"I wonder what else we're missing out on here," mumbled Adelaide.

Vivienne gave a little shrug and proceeded to wrap her hands around Cosette's arm.

Outside the Empyrea City Youth Hostel, thirty minutes later

"Well, if it isn't our star striker," hollered a young woman holding a ball tucked under her arm as she sauntered over. "Thought we were going to have to start the match without you."

Cosette stuck her thumb under her chin, flicked it forward and laughed. While the woman fought a grin, Cosette popped the ball from her grip and began kicking it toward a large, open expanse of grass between the sprawling one-story building of the youth hostel and the public sidewalk.

"Name's Tonje," said the woman, raising her hand to bump fists, first with Vivienne and then Adelaide. "Wanna join us?"

Adelaide and Vivienne traded a glance.

"Um..." said Adelaide.

"Sure," said Vivienne.

"Great," said Tonje. "Pick a side."

Vivienne jogged over to the left while Adelaide shuffled off to the right.

"Hey, friend," said a woman, towering over Adelaide as she approached, hand extended, "I'm Tiara. What position do you usually play?"

"I'm Adelaide," Adelaide smirked as she took Tiara's hand and pumped once. "You assume I usually play. I assure you, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing."

Tiara tossed her head back in a laugh. "Stick by me. You can be a defender. Even with you and your friend, we still don't have anywhere enough for two full scrimmage teams, so it's just us two covering the backfield."

"Okay...?"

Tiara smirked as she clapped Adelaide on the shoulder. "Simple version, if the ball comes this way, kick it the other direction. Preferably to someone on our team. Come on."

"Got it," said Adelaide, jogging to catch up with Tiara. "I think."

Adelaide watched someone she didn't know kicking the ball, while she ran and tried to stick close to Tiara. Adelaide lost sight of the ball as it was passed, and then from the opposite end of the pitch a trio of young women erupted in a cheer. Tiara jumped up with her fist in the air, hollering out to join the chorus.

"What just happened?" asked Adelaide, looking toward the source of the noise and then back to Tiara.

"Friend Cosette is phenomenal. She just scored."

"Already? I didn't know we were starting," complained Adelaide. "When did we start?"

"Come on, friend," said Tiara. "They're setting up the next kick off. And they'll be coming this way soon."

"Coming this way? What am I supposed to do?"

Tiara chuckled. "Try to get in the way. But don't trip anyone on purpose or shove anybody. That's against the rules. If you get a chance to steal the ball, try to kick it to me or another teammate."

"I think you have more confidence in my abilities that I do, Friend Tiara."

"Tonje's the best goalie in the league," said Tiara. "She can stop anything that gets through.

"Mm," mumbled Adelaide. "And I'm feeling that confidence melting away."

"It's just a game, friend," said Tiara, hustling up the field. "Try to have fun."

Adelaide trailed after her. "Easy for you to say!"

Tiara took off, sprinting up the field. After a moment, Adelaide focused her eyes on the ball and the opposing players coming at her.

"Um, Tiara...?"

"Just get in the way," hollered Tiara. "But don't--"

"Don't smash into anybody. Got it." Adelaide ran toward the fray.

"Adelaide! Look out!"

"Oof!" Adelaide fell to her knees after taking the ball to her chest.

"Nice block," said Tiara, swooping in with a kick to send the ball downfield. "You okay?"

"I..." Adelaide rubbed at her sternum. "I think so. Ohh. Wow. That stings."

"Come on, friend, you've got this."

"Again. Easy for you to say." And with the ball far downfield, Adelaide watched Cosette working her magic as Adelaide herself jogged to catch up to Tiara.

The back and forth continued until Adelaide began to sweat and huff for breath.

"You wanna sub out?" asked Tiara.

"Not enough players," said Adelaide.

"Yeah, but... Adelaide, look sharp. It's coming your way."